Weighing Sensor and an Electronic Scale Provided With the Same

ABSTRACT

The invention discloses a weighing sensor and an electronic scale provided with the same. The weighing sensor comprises a flat plate formed into helical shape, including successively a load-supporting portion, a strain portion and a bearing portion from the center to the outer of this plate, with the load-supporting portion situated between and surrounded by the bearing portion and the strain portion; wherein the load-supporting portion and the bearing portion are respectively used to bear the acting force and the reaction force in opposite directions, and a strain gauge is mounted on the strain portion. The electronic scale comprises at least three weighing sensors, wherein the bearing portion of the sensor is mounted on the scale body, the load-supporting portion directly contacts the supporting leg of the scale, which contacts the plane on which the scale is positioned. The present invention has small thickness, simple structure and low manufacturing cost.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present utility model relates to a sensor, in particular to a self-supporting weighting sensor used in an electronic human weight scale. The present utility model also relates to a scale provided with three or more such sensors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The elastomer of a weighing sensor mainly comprises three parts, that is, a first stress surface for transferring acting force, a second stress surface for transferring reaction force, and a strain rod connected between the first stress surface and the second stress surface. In a general weighing sensor, one or two stress surfaces have to be riveted or screw-fixed onto a rigid base frame or a supporting beam for transferring the acting force and the reaction force.

The elastomer of a self-supporting weighing sensor is shaped by punching a piece of sheet metal into two stress surfaces and a strain rod, wherein one of the stress surfaces forms a bearing frame to make the sensor itself stably disposed on the base frame of the scale body for directly transferring acting force, without fixing a supporting beam onto the base frame via a hard connection, so as to cut down the cost of the sensor and the whole electronic scale.

In order to eliminate or reduce partial load and repeatability error of the self-supporting weighing sensor, the other stress surface of the sensor, which transfers reaction force, transfers the reaction force in a manner of point contact.

For the present, there are three kinds of common self-supporting weighing sensors used for the electronic scales. The first kind is of “M” type structure, as shown in FIG. 5, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,929,391, published on Jul. 27, 1999; the second kind is shown in FIG. 6, which is described in CN patent application No. 96106220.7, published on Jul. 2, 2003; and the third kind is of “E” type structure, as shown in FIG. 7, which is described in CN patent application No. 200420015320.6, published on Apr. 6, 2005.

The first kind, i.e., the sensor with “M” type structure, has a bearing frame for self-supporting and a load-supporting rod for transferring the reaction force, and is convenient for installation. However, it has two strain rods, and the strain gauge must be bonded to each of them to ensure precision, which highly increases the cost. The second and the third types of sensors introduced above have bearing frames for planar self-supporting, but the other stress surface can not directly be stressed, so a load-supporting rod is necessarily added to achieve point stressing, which is also costly.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present utility model is to provide a sensor with low manufacturing cost, simple structure and small thickness.

Another object of the present utility model is to provide a scale provided with three or more such sensors.

To solve the above problems, the present utility model adopts the following technical solutions.

There is provided a weighing sensor, comprising a strain rod provided with a strain gauge, a bearing frame and a load-supporting rod located at both sides of the strain rod respectively, wherein the bearing frame and the load-supporting rod are respectively used to bear acting force and reaction force thereof which are opposite in directions, characterized in that the bearing frame, the load-supporting rod and the strain rod are formed by same piece of sheet metal; the bearing frame is in “C”-shape; and the load-supporting rod is situated between and surrounded by the bearing frame and the strain rod. The “C”-shaped bearing frame bears the acting force from a base frame, and the load-supporting rod surrounded by the bearing frame and the stain rod bears the reaction force which is transferred by the supporting leg of the scale.

As a preferred embodiment of the utility model, a spherical or conical protrusion or depression is provided on the load-supporting rod, so that the force directly acts on the top end of the protrusion or the bottom end of the depression.

There is provided an electronic scale provided with three or more such weighting sensors, characterized in that the bearing frame of the sensor is fixed on the scale body; the load-supporting rod directly contacts the supporting leg of the scale; and the supporting leg contacts the plane on which the scale is positioned.

The load-supporting rod of the sensor makes point contact with the supporting leg, and there may exist relative movement between them.

The supporting leg includes a base frame; a sensor supporting plate is mounted in the base frame; and a cover plate is mounted on the base frame.

The beneficial effects of the present utility model are as follows: the load-supporting rod, the strain rod and the bearing frame of the present utility model are all formed out of the same piece of sheet metal by punching, which may directly bear the reaction force transferred by the supporting leg of the scale, no need for additionally fixing a metal support thereon. Therefore, the sensor with such a structure is simple in structure and for processing, low-cost for manufacturing, convenient for installing, and capable of making the entire electronic scale thinner and more fashionable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present utility model is further illustrated through embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings hereinafter, in which:

FIG. 1 is a stereo illustration of the present utility model;

FIG. 2 is a stereo illustration of a scale provided with the above sensor;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a stereo exploded view of the supporting leg.

FIG. 5 is the structure of one sensor in prior art;

FIG. 6 is the structure of another sensor in prior art;

FIG. 7 is the structure of further another sensor in prior art.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a weighting sensor disclosed in the present utility model comprises a strain rod 2 shaped in flat block, which has a strain gauge 1 mounted thereon and can be bent and deformed under the influence of the weight to be measured. On both sides of the strain rod 2, a bearing frame 3 and a load-supporting rod 4 are provided respectively for bearing acting force and reaction force thereof which are opposite in directions. The bearing frame 3, the load-supporting rod 4 and the strain rod 2 are formed by same piece of sheet metal; the bearing frame 3 is in “C”-shape; and the load-supporting rod 4 situated between and surrounded by the bearing frame 3 and the strain rod 2.

The load-supporting rod 4 may directly bear the acting force, no need for an additional support fixed thereon. There is a spherical or conical protrusion or depression 7 provided on the load-supporting rod 4 and the force directly acts on the top end of the protrusion or the bottom end of the depression.

With reference to the FIGS. 2 and 3, there is disclosed an electronic scale having at least three above weighting sensors. The bearing frame 3 of the sensor is mounted on the base frame 8 of the scale body 5. The load-supporting rod 4 directly contacts one surface of the supporting leg 6 of the scale, and the other surface of the supporting leg 6 makes contact with the plane on which the scale is positioned.

The load-supporting rod 4 of the sensor makes point contact with the supporting leg 6, and there may exist relative movement between them.

Referring to FIG. 4, the electronic scale according to the present utility model includes a base frame 8, a supporting leg 6 and a cover plate 9. The supporting leg 6 is connected with the surrounding frame 11 through the elastic spokes 10; the surrounding frame 11 is fixed on the cover plate 9; and the cover plate 9 is fixed on the base frame 8. The bearing frame 3 of the sensor is mounted on the base frame 8 to bear the acting force transferred from the scale body. The spherical protrusion 7 on the load-supporting rod 4 of the sensor makes contact with the upper surface of the supporting leg 6, while the lower surface of the supporting leg 6 makes contact with the ground, and the reaction force of the ground, via the supporting leg, is transferred to the spherical protrusion 7 on the load-supporting rod 4 of the sensor. Of course, the supporting leg may also adopt other structures, which are not described in detail herein.

When the electronic scale is subject to a weight, the acting force and the reaction force are respectively transferred to the bearing frame 3 and the load-supporting rod 4 to deform the strain rod, which in turn causes changes in the resistance of the strain gauge, and the value of the weight is finally measured via an electronic circuit. 

1. A weighing sensor, comprising a flat plate formed into a helical shape, which includes successively a load-supporting portion, a strain portion and a bearing portion from the center to the outer of the helical flat plate, with the load-supporting portion situated between and surrounded by the bearing portion and the strain portion; wherein the load-supporting portion and the bearing portion are respectively used to bear an acting force and a reaction force which are opposite in directions; and a strain gauge is mounted on the strain portion.
 2. The weighing sensor according to claim 1, wherein a spherical or conical protrusion or depression is provided on the load-supporting portion so as to have the acting force directly act on the top end of the protrusion or the bottom end of the depression.
 3. An electronic scale comprising at least three weighing sensors according to claim 1, wherein the bearing portion of the sensor is mounted on scale body, the load-supporting portion directly contacts the supporting leg of the scale, and the supporting leg contacts a plane on which the scale is positioned.
 4. The electronic scale according to claim 6, wherein the load-supporting portion of the sensor makes point contact with the supporting leg, and there exists relative movement between them.
 5. The electronic scale according to claim 6, wherein the supporting leg includes a base frame, a sensor supporting plate is mounted in the base frame, and a cover plate is mounted on the base frame.
 6. The weighing sensor according to claim 1, wherein the bearing portion is in a “C”-shape and surrounds the load-supporting portion from three sides; while the strain portion is in a flat-block shape and surrounds the load-supporting portion from the remaining side.
 7. The weighing sensor according to claim 1, wherein the strain portion and the bearing portion are substantially situated on the same plane, while the load-supporting portion protrudes from this plane via a step provided at the abutting site between the load-supporting portion and the strain portion.
 8. The weighing sensor according to claim 1, which is integrally formed with one sheet metal. 